I know that Ian Holm as Sampson gets a lot of criticism but I'm not sure it's completely fair. All but one of the books were written from Sampson's point of view, and in his view everyone is an incompetent idiot and he's superman. But I don't think he's really meant to be. Maybe it's more that it just doesn't translate to film well than miscasting.
I read the books--including the two following trilogies--and I know that Sampson was supposed to be a big, rough looking dude. Certainly Ian Holm doesn't fit the part, appearance-wise. However, I think he played the role excellently. The criticism, including Len Deighton's, seems to me to be pretty superficial. This is one of the best book adaptations I've ever seen. I'd snap it up in a second if it were released on DVD.
sharetry this http://users.esc.net.au/~xenon/3D/runme.html
then collectable movies
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Simple:
If it's good, then he wasn't miscast.
My opinion, it was good.
Mr. Deighton is being a p***ant about this, I think.
When you sell or lease your rights to a film, you have to cede creative control.
A writer on screenwriting said you must remain loyal to your film. You can't turn a book into a film without making it a film.
I'm afraid I've reached an age where I look at the practicalities of age limits, much like a possible inheritor of a tontine. Mr. Deighton will be 80 in February. Now, I do wish him a long and happy continuance, but.... if he should pass away, I wonder if he has successfully put eternal restrictions on whoever gets it next.
The film series is a different creation. I sure wish he didn't have rights to it. It's just not fair to us who want to see and buy it. One Australian site wants about $200 US for it. This gives an indication of the pent up demand.
I tenderly handle my 20 year old tapes.............
Here in the U.S. the actual rights to the production should belong to PBS...not the author. It's PBS that stands to benefit more than the author or anyone else including the sponsers of Mystery Theater. WGBH PBS Boston was the responsible party...and I'm sure has a good clean copy...using our tax $ from tax supported PBS. They ought to put it up for us on DVD as they have with almost every other PBS program.
It's my belief that an author could not prohibit such a move.
Let Len Deighton sue them! I think they would win the fight in court.
Was Holm miscast? Do French cars rust?
shareI've long suspected that Deighton's issues with the casting here (and it wasn't just Holm that he took issue with) was just a petty excuse because the producers failed to court him to his satisfaction and stoke his ego, his attitude is certainly at odds with the one he took to the film version of The Ipcress File which takes huge liberties with the original novel both in terms of plot and it's presentation of the main character ('Harry Palmer' in the books is northern, middle-aged, dark and thick-set; a total contrast to Michael Caine). The only difference between the two productions is that on the earlier one, Caine and producer Harry Saltzman treated the author like royalty. In fact, physicality of the actors aside, GS&M is far closer to the spirit of 'Len Deighton' than any of the sixties films.
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